Councilman introduces bill regulating facial recognition technology in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh councilman introduced legislation on Tuesday to regulate facial recognition technology in the city.

Councilman Corey O’Connor says the technology has hurt more people than it’s helped.

Under the proposal, the council would first have to approve the use of this technology.

O’Connor says his proposal would force police to be open and transparent if they want to use the technology.

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Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert said it could have an impact on solving crimes like the tragic shooting death of a one-year-old boy earlier this week.

Reporter: “Would that hurt an investigation such as this if you can’t use facial recognition?”

“In the future it could,” Schubert said.

Pittsburgh police don’t have facial recognition computer programs and city cameras aren’t equipped with or linked to that kind of technology, police told our news partners at TribLIVE.com.

“Right now, you are seeing statistics that it disproportionately affects people of color, other (ethnicities), and why take that chance. I mean, people are getting arrested based on this technology that’s not perfected,” O’Connor said.

Over the past decade, surveillance cameras and ShotSpotter technology have become important crimefighting tools for city police.

Cameras are located in the housing complex in Spring Hill where the one-year-old was shot and killed in the crossfire when a bullet pierced a window and two walls and struck the child.

Police believe multiple people were firing at each other.

“I think us as the police department and the community, we are all appalled,” Schubert said.

The chief said facial recognition technology could play a vital role in an investigation like this.

“It’s something that I think we all need to sit down and talk about and see what is out there and what we can and can’t use. It’s a critical tool to police. It can be,” Schubert said.

“Look, if this is going to help save lives and solve crimes in the future, and we want to purchase it, or we want to tap into something different, why not be open and transparent about it and have that conversation,” O’Connor said.

The resolution has now been referred to the Public Safety Committee. They will examine it and send it back to council for a final vote.

1-year-old boy dies after being shot in head by bullet that came through window, 2 walls

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